Tension:
"Can the Lord do the impossible?” The question echoed through the story into the listener’s ears. Israel faced the Promised Land. For the last forty years, they wandered through the wilderness waiting for God to let them in. Perhaps they wondered this exact question.
We may wonder the same question today. We look at our world and wonder how God can redeem it. We think, with such brokenness surrounding us, that it is impossible to redeem the world. Maybe it is the seemingly impossible task of sharing with a loved one who rejects God. Perhaps it is God’s call to serve Him in a location or way you don’t seem qualified for. What do we do when we are faced with an impossible task? Do we scoff at God’s promise? Or do we trust in His power and goodness? The main idea of Chapter 18 is this: Despite our failure to have faith, God can and will complete His purposes, as He displays His grace upon us.
Text:
Sarah, Abraham’s wife, laughs at the absurdity of God’s plan and promise of a son, “this time next year.” She thinks the tent door hides her thoughts. She didn’t think she was heard, but God did hear. God questioned her laughter. She responds in shock. Her first reaction was fear. “I didn’t laugh.” But she did, and God knew it. She was faced with her disbelief as well as the lie. This was unfaithfulness. How would God react?
God reacts by reaffirming that He will return in a year and she will have a son. Notice, God’s response to Sarah’s faithlessness is to affirm His faithfulness. The fulfillment of the promise would be the final word on her faith problem. This was personal grace extended to Sarah. We learn that God displays grace to individuals. He also extends grace and judgment on a larger scale, like that of a whole city.
The listener sits back, recalling their own faithlessness. Yet, God fulfilled His promise. The lesson is clear: God’s grace was lavished on Sarah despite her faithlessness. God’s promise to His people waiting on the banks of the Jordan was still going forward. Their disobedience couldn’t thwart God’s promise. There was hope in the grace of God and a call to return to faithfulness.
With that, God, as seen as three people, departs and goads Abraham into another conversation. God was going to Sodom to judge them. Their sin had become full. The outcry is too much not to extend gracious judgment. Abraham, inspired by God’s grace, negotiates with God about Sodom. Eventually, God agrees to spare Sodom if there are ten righteous people. What is happening here?
Is Abraham changing the mind of God? No, but God’s grace is on full display in several ways. First, God allows Abraham to speak into this situation. Abraham’s negotiation is a display of God’s grace to engage with sinful people. Secondly, God displays grace through the willingness to spare the whole for the righteousness of a few. We get a behind-the-scenes look at God’s grace. We are also reminded that none are righteous. God was willing to spare all for ten, but we see in the next chapter, there were none righteous. This is a mirror into our own fallenness.
Again, the listener is reminded to look at the nation and wonder, “Will we allow our sin to become full?” God will judge nations for their wickedness. This should a been a stark, but gracious warning to be faithful as they enter the land promised to Abraham.
Sarah will have a baby in her old age, and Sodom has a chance at repentance. These things should be an answer to the question, “Can God do the impossible?” The answer is, yes. God can and does.
The listener sits back in awe of God’s grace. This is encouraging to hear. God was not finished with them yet. God would still bring them into the land that was promised. God would overcome their disobedience by His grace. Do they have faith that God’s grace will extend to them? To us?
Take Away:
Do we believe God can do the impossible? So often we doubt God’s ability to carry out His plans. We doubt His goodness. We doubt His grace. This chapter challenges us to renew our faith that God can and will do a work in this world. He will extend grace on His people.
Let this story grow our faith in God’s faithfulness. Let us look at our lives and find parts of our hearts that still lack faith in God’s goodness. Let us repent and embrace the cross through the way we engage with God and others.
Will we laugh bitterly, like Sarah? Or plead, like Abraham? As we share the gospel, let us not doubt who God can redeem and not underestimate people’s fallenness. Instead, let’s let our faith find us at the feet of the one who can do all things.